NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologize to the farmers of the country and repeal the three farm laws which are being opposed by them after the Supreme Court rapped the Centre over the handling of the agitation.
Chief Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also urged the apex court to register cases against Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and chief ministers Manohar Lal Khattar and Yogi Adityanath after taking note of their actions that caused damage to public property.
He said the central and state governments have dug up roads and caused blockades on the national highways around the national capital.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologize not only to the families of 65 farmers who have sacrificed themselves but also to the 62 crore farmers of the country. The prime minister should thereafter talk to the agitating farmers himself and nothing short of it is acceptable to the 'annadatas'," he told reporters.
Surjewala said the prime minister should come forward and wipe the tears of farmers, he should shed his support for crony capitalists and announce the repeal of the three farm laws immediately.
He held the prime minister, the home minister and chief ministers of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh directly responsible for the current agitation, saying they stopped the farmers from coming to Delhi and expressing their anger and opposition to the farm laws in a Gandhian manner.
"The Supreme Court is the protector of laws and the Constitution and we all have faith in it. If someone opposes the laws in a Gandhian manner, then the court will also support such opposition, as protesting peacefully is a basic right enshrined in the Constitution."
"The prime minister and home minister are responsible for the current situation. We are confident that the Supreme Court will take note of the anti-national action of the prime minister and the home minister as well as the chief ministers of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and register cases against them," he added.
He said the Supreme Court should take note of the actions of the prime minister, Shah, Manohar Lal Khattar, Dushyant Chautala, and Adityanath whose governments dug up roads and blocked roads by putting up barriers, and register cases against them for causing losses to the state exchequer and damage to public property.
He also noted that when the Modi government is ready to do 18 amendments in the laws, it shows that the laws are not right, and then why does it not repeal these laws.
"Today, the Supreme Court expressed its anguish and its disappointment over repeated failure of talks and on the failure of the government in being able to find a solution," he alleged.
Surjewala said never in the 73-year history of this country had a government been exposed in this fashion for its arrogance, its intemperate behavior, and insensitivity towards 62 crore farmers.
The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Centre's vehement opposition to its suggestion that the implementation of three new farm laws be held back for the time being so as to help find an amicable solution to the ongoing farmers' protest against them at Delhi borders.
While rapping the Centre for its handling of farmers' protest against the new laws, the apex court said that either the implementation of these statutes be held back or the top court itself will proceed to do so on the recommendation of a court-appointed committee which is to be constituted.